I don't really care how much the latest superhero film took at the box office, although I'd probably know if you asked me. When I watch a film the main thing I am looking for is a good story. I like it when I look up at the big screen and can see a part of me staring back at me. More than anything, I am still looking for Jimmy Stewart and Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder in every film I see.

Monday, 12 April 2010

You're So Lucky!

A friend of mine just got cast in a great TV role. It's potentially a 'breakthrough' role; the type every young actress dreams of. And someone said to her, "you're so lucky that you got that role!". I don't like it when people say that. It's like "you're so lucky you know what you want to do with your life," - it doesn't make that much sense and totally negates all the bad-luck, un-luck, pot-luck and mind-fuck of the past how ever many years of struggle and perseverance. When you don't make it, people don't see it as bad luck, they just think you're not talented enough. But when you make it, well done - you're lucky.

My actress friend - where does the luck begin and end? Is she lucky because at 12 she decided to dedicate herself to acting? Is she lucky because after years of hustling and trying and failing she still kept going? Is she lucky because she has an agent? Is she lucky because whilst her no good agent was doing nothing she went out and hunted down the opportunity? Is she lucky because she had spent years learning and perfecting her trade? Is she lucky because she surrounded herself with good people and had the strength of character to cut away from the bad? Is she lucky because she decided she wanted more from her life than a job for life that made her miserable? Is she lucky because she did whatever jobs she had to do to keep herself in a position to audition each and every day? Where does this luck begin and end and at what point do we give her the credit? Surely it couldn't be that she's actually wonderful or talented or worthy or hard-working?

3 comments:

Couldn't agree more. So many people describe the industry based on luck, and they simply disregard the fact that luck is actually an exception. The majority of the people working are very, very talented.